It has been 20 years since the legendary game debuted in North America, giving players everywhere the opportunity to feel like a rock star. Figuratively speaking, but try telling that anyone who has nailed the epic four-minute instrumental break in front of an enthusiastic crowd of friends.
Created by the developers, Guitar Hero gave players a guitar-shaped controller to follow on-screen cues moving along the display synchronized to the music. Each riff mimicked particular chords, creating the feel of an authentic live show.
The studio had already tried its hand with rhythm games prior to teaming up with RedOctane, which was purchased by Activision in 2006. Collaboratively, they laid the foundations for an unlikely massively profitable franchise which made a significant impact for many musicians included, showcasing decades-old groups to millions of younger players.
Michael Dornbrook, former COO of Harmonix, recalls the early financial challenges in securing the songs – despite the fact initial releases primarily featured rerecorded tracks.
“We reproduced every song because the dollar figure was so high,” he says. “Even with the publishing rights by themselves, it was extremely difficult. We failed to secure acts such as the Who – RedOctane had virtually no money, and our team was pretty convinced it would fail. But once Guitar Hero became a hit, and record sales and radio play were going up, all artists desired to be in.”
He adds: “Among the amazing things was the number of mothers and fathers got in touch expressing gratitude for exposing their children to the music they loved. It became an intergenerational thing.”
Timeless Music Finds a New Audience
Irish group the Answer had Never Too Late on the 2008 game the popular installment. Guitarist Paul Mahon recalls the way the game revived older hits to the forefront: “The game offered a larger, new demographic. Generally such music was seen as music that was past it, but then once it got included in the title young people were finding it, abruptly it became trendy. This validated it, eliminating the ‘dad rock’ label. It gave all our music a new life.”
At that time, the Answer’s debut album remained not available stateside, so Guitar Hero was a key medium of discovery for the band during their a North American tour opening for the rock giants. “The roadies were playing Never Too Late during travel, and several recognized us from Guitar Hero,” he notes.
Rock’s Heavyweight Titles and Lasting Impact
Rock’s heavyweight names quickly took advantage of the game's success, with Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen featuring in dedicated game editions that focused on their music collections and associated stories, visuals and legendary status. In the case of, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, it was said to have made the band more money compared to their records. It moved well over 500,000 copies upon release, while sales of Aerosmith’s music rose significantly during an era as the industry was already collapsing.
Guitar Hero still motivates quick-handed dedication within the community. Earlier this year, an online personality achieved a remarkable feat featuring Through the Fire and Flames – a notoriously difficult power-metal song popularized through the game – using a fan-made version, a no-cost alternative with similar mechanics and extensive customisation options. This track is challenging even in expert mode, not to mention performed at double speed and without missing every one of the thousands of cues. They claimed it took nine months to accomplish.
“The game offers a, fantasy thing. Just as with other games, that doesn’t mean you ought to use a real gun and go to war,” notes DragonForce guitarist Herman Li.
DragonForce previously wrapped up a profitable run before Through the Fire and Flames was featured in the third game, but Li says it made them widely recognized. “I recall our distributors informing us that we were records were moving rapidly,” he shares. “It exploded when we next toured, and we were playing right ahead of the headliners at the event.”
Indeed, DragonForce’s exposure via the game proved so vast that it risked eclipsing everything else accomplishments. Last year, the track was used in a trailer for a major film. “Previously I thought differently, but I’ve made peace with it,” Li says. “Should you just hear one DragonForce song, it’s totally cool – each person has their own musical journey and I’m glad we’ve been part of people’s lives”.
Enduring Impact of a Iconic Controller
The best promotion, be it for automobiles, apparel or video games, goes further than selling something – it evokes a longing. Was the game able to harness this? “That’s exactly what we were aiming to achieve,” he confirms. “The excitement of being a rock star on the stage. From day one, the creators felt that there’s an instinctive urge to make music, and they wanted to leverage innovation to enable everyone to do it”.
Most installments were released in just a half-decade from 2005 to 2010, featuring spin-offs such as DJ Hero, complete with a spinning deck, and Band Hero. Subsequently, corporate focus on peripherals waned, except for a short-lived revival several years later.
Titles such as Clone Hero and newer releases have kept the community alive, with expectations of a new product from the founders on the way. Recently formed developers has begun production on their first rhythm-based title. The initial creators are participating as special advisers. Are gamers prepared to welcome another game in the spirit of the classic?
“We thought those games might become similar to sports games where you can update every year,” Dornbrook says. “With abundant fresh tracks it could remain evergreen, thus I remain optimistic. It's entirely possible for it to persist with new generations.”
